Re: Please explain.
Haris bhai, it should take five minutes of investigation to ask this police man which sir he was talking to. Within an hour you can trace the sir’s phone number.
like I said yesterday, I don’t think Musharraf would order such an attack. but then i don’t think Sharif ordered the attack on SC either. according to Mir, the ransacking was carried out by punjab police personnel. any punjab police personnel operating in ICT are supposed to take their instructions from federal authorities/police officers, not provincial authorities or police officers. however, this can make things look complicated. blame can be shifted. was it done in the heat of the moment? was it done by some punjab police officer? was federal authorities behind the attack? was it someone else? it is also noteworthy that senior police officers are alleged to have been unhappy with the treatment meted out to them by the CJ. this kind of actions are capable of a variety of interpretations. in any case i don’t think it’s too difficult for musharraf to find out the truth. both the PM and the president have promised that the persons responsible should be punished. let’s see how long does it take and what the outcome is.
what i find interesting is that apparently Geo did not show the same enthusiasm in covering the scuffles and incidents in Lahore yesterday. 12 and before anyone lays all the blame on police, the preparations by the police in this regard had been reported in the press one day in advance. so everyone should have had enough time to ask police for restraint in this matter. it’s possible that the govt. did try to communicate the message through various channels, and after failing in this endeavor, someone decided to send the message in a not so civilized way. that’s just a theory. this is what acting CJ had to say about media and lawyers.
*In reply to a question, Justice Iqbal said the media was free and reporters could visit the Supreme Court. However, he advised the media to be careful in reporting events, saying any news “must not be scandalised and both sides of the picture should be portrayed”.
“If the media keeps showing a fifteen-second clip of stone pelting 15 times a day, the impact will not be good,” he said.
He urged lawyers to “maintain the sanctity of the Constitution and Supreme Court” and “keep the dignity of the judiciary”. Lawyers should protest in a “peaceful and dignified” matter, he said, adding they should also not chant slogans. http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\18\story_18-3-2007_pg7_13
*
does he share some of government’s concerns?
IMO, if musharraf wants to maintain the status quo, he will have to provide leadership, assert his authority (not through any extra-judicial means) and take people into confidence. his own cabinets members seem to have no clue about what’s going on. you can’t depend on these ‘poor’ people to speak for you. some of the rumors being spread and analysis from the media people may actually help him as he stays out of the line of fire, but after a while it is bound to hurt him if he doesn’t quell rumors and take people into confidence. if he fails to maintain the status quo, IMO, there are probably three options for him:
1- ‘deal’ with the opposition and bring his civilian side forward.
2- declare emergency (which will be met with resistance from civil society, but he may succeed. however, it’s not a long-term solution)
3- third option may not be his option. it was neither Ayyub’s, nor Yehya’s nor Zia’s.
nevertheless, Musharraf is probably more shrewd than most people give him credit for.